Wainscot for boarding vertical surfaces

ABSTRACT

A wainscot or panel for boarding of vertical surfaces consists of a plurality of lengthwise in parallel with each other mounted fillets or boards ( 1 ) which, with the side thereof facing said surface, are located on a support structure holding together said fillets or boards, which are sawn such that the angle between the flat sides of each fillet or board and the annual rings in the surfaces of said flat sides is 45-90°, preferably 60-90°, and which are mounted standing upright and held in position by means of mounting means ( 4 ) only at the end portions ( 1   c   , 1   d ) of said panel fillets or panel boards.

[0001] The present invention relates to a wainscot or panel for boarding of vertical surfaces, e.g. walls. The wainscot or panel consists of a plurality of lengthwise in parallel with each other mounted wooden fillets or boards.

[0002] Wainscots or panels of the above construction are known in a plurality of various embodiments. Common to all embodiments is that the panel fillets or panel boards for the sake of form stability are relatively large in size, which means that the consumption of material for the production thereof is considerable, that the wainscots or panels are heavy to handle and transport and that the wainscots therefore are expensive to buy. Also, mounting of the wainscots or panels is circumstantial and the panels must be fastened at several places for secure mounting thereof.

[0003] The object of the present invention has been to provide a wainscot or panel as defined above with a low weight and which is easy to handle and to mount and does not require as much material as older constructions and which also is relatively cheap to transport and to mount.

[0004] According to the invention this is arrived at while, initially, each fillet or board in the panel is sawn such that the angle between the flat sides of the fillet or board and the annual rings in the surfaces of said flat sides is 45-90°, preferably 60-90°. Hereby, fillets or boards are obtained, which in comparison with fillets or boards in older wainscot or panel constructions consist of more form stable material with a harder surface free from shakes. The fillets or boards may furthermore be machined or treated in a more simple and easier way, the amount of debris is less and an eventual surface treatment is smoother. Esthetically, the fillets or boards get a more uniform texture and the surfaces are substantially free from knots.

[0005] Handling, transport and mounting of the wainscot or panel is facilitated, while, with the side thereof facing a vertical surface, the panel fillets or panel boards are located on a flexible and/or elastic support structure holding together said fillets or boards and covering the entire or substantially entire surface on said side of said fillets or boards, said fillets or boards further being located on said support structure at such distance from each other and/or designed such that the wainscot or panel can be bent, preferably rolled up.

[0006] Finally, by the abovementioned improved form stability, the characterizing feature of the present invention that the wainscot or panel is mounted with vertical or upright panel fillets or panel boards on or at the vertical surface, or a portion thereof, for boarding, only by means of lower and upper mounting means holding the end portions of said panel fillets or panel boards, is further promoted. The improved stability permits production of thinner fillets or boards; the panel gets a lower weight, is easier to mount and requires less fastening or anchor points. Manufacture, handling, transport and mounting of the panel according to the present invention will be more economic than previously.

[0007] The abovementioned and other characterizing features of the invention as well as the advantages therewith, will be described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which

[0008]FIG. 1 schematically illustrates how the fillets or boards for a wainscot or panel according to the invention may be sawn;

[0009]FIG. 2 illustrates how the fillets or boards for a wainscot or panel according to the invention alternatively may be sawn;

[0010]FIG. 3 is a schematic cross section of a portion of a wainscot or panel according to the invention;

[0011]FIG. 4 is a schematic cross section of a panel having alternatively designed fillets or boards; and

[0012]FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a wainscot or panel according to the invention mounted on a wall.

[0013] The present invention relates to, as already mentioned, a wainscot or panel for boarding of vertical surfaces such as walls, doors, vertical surfaces on furniture etc..

[0014] The wainscot or panel consists of a plurality of length-wise in parallel with each other mounted wooden fillets or boards 1, the length, width and thickness of which may vary, depending on the object and application of the panel (FIG. 3-5). With the side la thereof facing the vertical surface in question, the fillets or boards 1 are located on a support structure 2 (FIG. 3 and 4) holding together said fillets or boards.

[0015] In order to achieve the required desired form stability for its application, each fillet or board 1 in the panel according to the invention is sawn such that the angle ∝ between the flat sides 1 a, 1 b of said fillets or boards and the annual rings 3 in the surfaces of said flat sides is 45-90°, preferably 60-90° (FIG. 2). The fillets or boards 1 may thereby preferably be sawn out of a log by so called star sawing (FIG. 1) or so called quarter sawing (FIG. 2). FIG. 2 illustrates four different types of quarter sawing.

[0016] By sawing out the fillets or boards as defined, the wood therein gets standing annual rings. Wood with standing annual rings has small predictable moisture movements and no cupping and has a substantially less tendency to twist after sawing. Thus, the wood becomes more form stable compared to conventionally sawn wood, gets a harder surface without shake formation and having the abovementioned machining technical and aesthetic advantages. Also, the product is substantially free from knots. Said advantages are particularly striking when sawing fillets or boards from logs of conifers.

[0017] The improved form stability also means that the wainscot or panel can be mounted in a for panels of said type unique way, such that it is held in place by means of mounting means 4 only at the end portions 1 c, 1 d of the panel fillets or boards 1.

[0018] The improved form stability further allows a reduction of the thickness of the fillets or boards 1; for a conventional wall panel having a width of about 70 mm from e.g. 13 mm to about 9 mm or less, whereby the weight of the panel is lowered. This also contributes to the fact that the panel only needs to be mounted or fastened to an underlayer (vertical surface) at the end portions 1 c, 1 d of the fillets or boards 1. The lower weight also facilitates transport, mounting and other handling of the panel.

[0019] Thus, the wainscot or panel is mounted on or at a vertical surface, or a portion thereof, for boarding, only by means of mounting means 4 holding the end portions 1 c, 1 d of the panel fillets or panel boards 1. Since it is a vertical surface, e.g. a wall, that is to be boarded, or only a portion thereof, the panel is mounted with vertical or upright fillets or boards 1 and only by means of lower and upper mounting means 4 holding the end portions 1 c, 1 d of the panel fillets or boards 1. It is hereby suitable, but not necessary, if the end portions 1 c, 1 d of each fillet or board 1 are provided with or brought to cooperate with said mounting means, since the fillets or boards in any case also are held together by the support structure 2 described below.

[0020] According to a preferred embodiment of the wainscot or panel according to the invention, the support structure 2 holding together the panel fillets or panel boards 1 is designed flexible and/or consists of flexible material. It is hereby possible to mount the panel such that it extends curved, e.g. on walls with rounded corners, in round oriels, on pillows, etc.. Rolling up of the panel for easier transport and handling is also possible. The material for the support structure 2 may e.g. be a fabric or fibre structure of non-woven type, on which the panel fillets or panel boards 1 are located preferably by sizing. The size or glue 5 may be of a type giving an at least somewhat elastic glue line, e.g. some type of PVA-size or -glue, which is also moisture-proof.

[0021] The support structure 2 covers the entire or substantially entire surface on that side la of the panel fillets or panel boards 1 which faces the support structure. Other types of support structures may be used, as may other flexible materials, and the support structure may also be nailed or screwed onto the panel fillets or boards 1 or be attached thereto in other ways.

[0022] The support structure 2 may also be elastic and/or consist of elastic material such that the wainscot or panel can be bent or even rolled up. With elastic material in the support structure 2, it can be held in prestressing when the panel fillets or panel boards 1 are located or mounted thereon. After this mounting, the prestressing pulls the fillets or boards 1 somewhat towards each other. This effect is facilitated also when the glue or size line, if glue or size is used, dries between the fillets or boards 1 and the support structure 2, e.g. a fabric.

[0023] In order to make the wainscot or panel such that it not only can be bent or rolled up, but also gets a pleasing design, the panel fillets or panel boards 1 are provided or located on the support structure 2 at such distance from each other that bending and preferably also rolling up of the panel is possible and/or are said panel fillets or panel boards 1 shaped such that said bending or rolling up is permitted.

[0024] Consequently, in a suitable embodiment the panel fillets or panel boards 1 are thereby located on the support structure 2 partly overlapping each other (at 6) and with a gap 7 between the fillets or boards at the back and/or front side 1 a and 1 b respectively, thereof (FIG. 3). The width of the gap 7 varies for different sorts of wood, but is preferably about 1 mm. Hereby, when e.g. a fabric is used and said fabric is flexible and/or elastic, the flexibility and/or the elasticity of the fabric in the joint may be utilized and a possibility of bending or rolling up be obtained while at the same time space is given for the inherent climate related movement of the wood. The abovementioned prestressing obtained by e.g. an elastic glue or size line or joint 5 and eventually an elastic fabric 2, provides together with the mutual overlapping of the fillets or boards 1 on preferably the front side 1 b and the fabric on the back rear side la, a very stable and at the same time bendable joint which furthermore still has a certain freedom of movement in the glue joint and remaining elasticity in the fabric.

[0025] According to another suitable embodiment to allow bending and even rolling up of the wainscot or panel, the panel fillets or panel boards 1 are designed with a cross-sectional area, one short side 1 e of which has a rounded bulging 8 and the opposite short side 1 f a recess 9 fitting to the bulging 8 (FIG. 4).

[0026] The abovementioned mounting means 4 for holding the wainscot or panel according to the invention, may be designed in many ways based on the application thereof, i.e. the purpose thereof, its location, its size etc.. A suitable mounting means 4 in many applications is glue. Another suitable mounting means 4 for perhaps primarily small panels and particularly if the panels also should be easy to demount without damage, is Velcro tape, self-adhering tape or similar.

[0027] For mounting on or at vertical surfaces such as walls, or portions thereof, where a certain aesthetics in the design of the wainscot or panel is particularly important, the wainscot or panel however, is held in position with vertical or upright panel fillets or panel boards 1 preferably only by means of lower and upper mounting means 4, limiting said vertical surface or surface portion down below and at the top respectively. The lower mounting means 4 is designed preferably such that the wainscot or panel can be placed standing therein and held in position thereby until the upper mounting means has been mounted. The lower mounting means 4 may hereby be provided with a groove (not shown) for the panel. Alternatively, the lower mounting means 4 may be provided with a recess 10 on the side la thereof facing the vertical surface or surface portion (FIG. 5), such that the mounting means together with the vertical surface or surface portion define a groove for the panel. Through the form stability of the panel fillets or panel boards 1, the panel remains standing only by means of the lower mounting means 4 without any need for dimensioning said lower mounting means bigger just to this end. The upper mounting means 4 is preferably also provided with a groove or a recess 11 corresponding to the groove or recess 10 in the lower mounting means 4. The panel fillets or panel boards 1 may in their end portions 1 c, 1 d have corresponding milled-off portions (not shown) to a depth substantially corresponding to the grooves or recesses 10, 11 in the lower and upper mounting means 4 respectively, in order to have a pleasing finish between the panel and the mounting means.

[0028] In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 5, the lower mounting means 4 consists of a skirting 12 and the upper mounting means 4 of a coping 13, i.e. the wainscot or panel covers only a portion of a wall. If the panel shall cover an entire wall, an upper mounting means 4 in the form of a cornice (not shown) is used instead of a coping. If one instead of a lower portion wants to cover an upper portion of a wall, the lower mounting means 4 may consist of a coping and the upper mounting means 4 of a cornice.

[0029] In order to give the panel a further improved appearance and additional stability, e.g. if the panel begins and/ /or ends in the middle of a wall, the skirting and the cornice define, together with lateral borders (not shown), a frame for the panel. Thus, the lateral borders are made up of end or corner fillets.

[0030] Beyond what has been described above, the skirting 12, coping 13 and cornice may for the rest be designed in a conventional manner and be given any desired profile. The panel need not be e.g. nailed onto the wall, but is held in position by the skirting and coping or cornice or by coping and cornice. In this way, the panel is easy to mount and also to demount for e.g. mounting at another location.

[0031] Thanks to the holding-together function of the support structure, holes and apertures can be made in the panel without said panel falling apart around said holes or openings not even during bending or rolling up.

[0032] It is obvious to a skilled person that the wainscot or panel according to the present invention can be altered and modified within the scope of the subsequent claims without departing from the idea and purpose of the invention. Thus, beyond what has been described above and illustrated in the drawings, the wainscot or panel may vary in its design and size, as may the design, size and number of the fillets or boards 1 forming part of said wainscot or panel and particularly the mounting means 4 holding the wall panel, such as skirtings 12, copings 13 and cornices. The choice of material for the members forming part of the wainscot or panel as well as the mounting means for said panel, may also vary within the scope of the subsequent claims. 

1. Wainscot or panel for boarding of vertical surfaces, e.g. walls, and consisting of a plurality of lengthwise in parallel with each other mounted wooden fillets or boards (1), characterized in that each fillet or board (1) in the wainscot or panel is sawn such that the angle (∝) between the flat sides (1 a, 1 b) of the fillet or board and the annual rings in the surfaces of said flat sides is 45-90°, preferably 60-90°, that with the side (1 a) thereof facing a vertical surface, the panel fillets or panel boards (1) are located on a flexible and/or elastic support structure (2) holding together said fillets or boards and covering the entire or substantially entire surface on said side (1 a) of said fillets or boards, said fillets or boards (1) further being located on said support structure (2) at such distance from each other and/or designed such that the wainscot or panel can be bent, preferably roll up, and that the wainscot or panel is mounted with vertical or upright panel fillets or panel boards (1) on or at the vertical surface, or a portion thereof, for boarding only be means of lower and upper mounting means (4) holding the end portions (1 c, 1 d) of said panel fillets or panel boards.
 2. Wainscot or panel according to claim 1, characterized in that the support structure (2) holding together the panel fillets or panel boards (1) is flexibly designed and/or consists of flexible material.
 3. Wainscot or panel according to claim 2, characterized in that the support structure (2) is made of a fabric, a fibre structure of non-woven type or similar, on which the panel fillets or panel boards (1) are located preferably by sizing.
 4. Wainscot or panel according to claim 3, characterized in that the panel fillets or panel boards (1) are sized or glued onto the support structure (2) by means of a size or glue giving an elastic glue line (5).
 5. Wainscot or panel according to any preceding claim, characterized in that the support structure (2) holding together the panel fillets or panel boards (1) is elastically designed and/or consists of elastic material.
 6. Wainscot or panel according to claim 5, characterized in that the support structure (2) is prestressed when the panel fillets or panel boards (1) are located thereon.
 7. Wainscot or panel according to any preceding claim, characterized in that the panel fillets or panel boards (1) are located on the support structure (2) partly overlapping each other (at 6) and with a gap (7) between said fillets or boards on the back side (1 a) and/or front side (1 b) thereof.
 8. Wainscot or panel according to any of claims 1-6, characterized in that the panel fillets or panel boards (1) are designed with a cross-sectional area, one short side (1 e) of which has a rounded bulging (8) and the opposite short side (1 f) a recess (9) fitting to the bulging.
 9. Wainscot or panel according to any preceding claim, characterized in that the mounting means (4) holding the end portions (1 c, 1 d) of the panel fillets or panel boards (1) consist of a glue or adhesive.
 10. Wainscot or panel according to any of claims 1-8, characterized in that the mounting means (4) holding the end portions (1 c, 1 d) of the panel fillets or panel boards (1) consist of Velcro tape, self-adhering tape or similar.
 11. Wainscot or panel according to any of claims 1-8, characterized in that the wainscot or panel is mounted on or at a vertical surface, or a portion thereof, only by means of lower and upper mounting means (4) limiting said vertical surface or surface portion down below and at the top respectively.
 12. Wainscot or panel according to claim 11, characterized in that the lower mounting means (4) is designed such that the wainscot or panel can be placed standing therein and held in position thereby until the upper mounting means (4) has been mounted.
 13. Wainscot or panel according to claim 12, characterized in that the lower mounting means (4) is provided with a groove for the wainscot or panel.
 14. Wainscot or panel according to claim 12, characterized in that the lower mounting means (4) is provided with a recess (10) on the side (1 a) thereof facing the vertical surface or surface portion, such that said mounting means along with said vertical surface or surface portion define a groove for the wainscot or panel.
 15. Wainscot or panel according to any of claims 11-14, characterized in that said lower and upper mounting means (4) consist of a skirting (12) and a coping (13) or a cornice respectively.
 16. Wainscot or panel according to any of claims 11-14, characterized in that said lower and upper mounting means (4) consist of a coping (13) and a cornice respectively.
 17. Wainscot or panel according to claim 15 or 16, characterized in that the skirting (12) and coping (13) or cornice, and the coping (13) and cornice respectively, define, together with lateral borders, a frame for the wainscot or panel.
 18. Wainscot or panel according to any preceding claim, characterized in that the panel fillets or panel boards (1) are sawn from logs of conifers.
 19. Wainscot or panel according to any preceding claim, characterized in that the panel fillets or panel boards (1) are sawn by so called star sawing.
 20. Wainscot or panel according to any preceding claim, characterized in that the panel fillets or panel boards (1) are sawn by so called quarter sawing. 